The present invention relates to telecommunication in general and to voice communication over the Internet in particular.
As Internet is being more and more popular we tend to spend more and more time in front of our computers while connected to Internet. The most common way of connecting to Internet is by using a modem and the connection times is far longer than the time usually spent in a traditional voice conversation. For home users the use of the telephone line for connectiong to Internet can lead to a conflict since most subscribers only have one line which shall serve both computer communication and voice communication.
In the Swedish patent application SE-9602212-4 is a method for enabling a subscriber to make and receive voice calls during an on-going Internet session disclosed.
In the Swedish patent application SE-9603932-6 the methods disclosed in SE-9602212-4 is further developed and additional problems solved.
The general idea of the above mentioned applications is that a user, connected to Internet via a modem using his ordinary telephoneline, register with a service using a special application in his computer. The service connects the users telephone number to a special number activating a IN service so that whenever a call is placed towards the user, it is redirected to the special number. When the IN service is activated it activates a gateway which connects, via Internet, to the application in the users computer and alerts the user who can the answer the call.
In a similar manner, the user can place an outgoing call using the gateway to act as a bridge between the IP-based Internet and PSTN. In this situation it seems from the PSTN network point-of-view as if the gateway is making the call and should be charged. A solution to this problem is presented in SE-9603932-6.
None of the above mentioned applications discloses specific methods for registration and authentication of users and how this can be solved in advantageous manner as well as how this can be used to allow for a simplified charging method.
The present invention discloses a method, a node and a network for solving the problem with user registration, authentication and thus being able to allow a simple charging method.
The purpose of the present invention is thus to be able to register and authenticate a user and thus to allow for a simple charging method.
The problem described above, with how to achive registration and authentication to allow for simple charging is solved by letting the client connect to a predefined registry function supplying the telephone number the client is using and that the registry function keeps a table with telephone numbers, authentication codes and IP-addresses.
In more detail, the problem described above is solved by letting the client send a message to a registry function which includes the telephone number the client uses. The registry checks that a user record, with that telephone number as key, exists and retrieves a NRV (Non Repeating Value) and associates that NRV with the user. This NRV is sent to the client which then responds with a value calculated with a ONF (ONe way Function) taking as arguments the telephonenumber, the password. The ONF is then applied again to the result and the NRV. In the registry an AD (Authentication Data) is associated with the user record.
The AD is identical to the value of the ONF applied to the users telephonenumber and the password. The registry takes the AD in the subscriber record, then compares ONF applied to AD and NRV with the value received from the client. If these values are equal the user is authenticated and registrated for use of the service. By using the telephonenumber in the user record in the registry this telephonenumber can be used when the user wants to place an outgoing call.
When the gateway receives a request from the client to place an outgoing call it confirms with the registry that the user is registrated and authentic. In response the gateway also receives the telephonenumber which it sends along with the signalling in the setup of the outgoing call. This telephonenumber is then used by the different network elements to charge the supplied telephonenumber instead of the telephonenumber of the gateway.
One of the advantages of the present invention is that charging of the outgoing calls performed by the gateway is simplified.
Other advantages will be obviouse to a man skilled in the art in the light of the detailed description given below.
Further scope of applicability of the present invention will become apparent from the detailed description given herein after. However, it should be understood that the preferred embodiments of the invention, are given by way of illustration only, since variouse changes and modifications within the scope of the invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art from this detailed description.